Excavator and ditcher.



No. 643,857. Patented Feb. 20', I900.

E. M. ZAHL. EXCAVATOR AND nncmzn.

(Application filed Oct. 19, 1899.)

(I0 Model.) 3 Shoets$he0i l.

whiz wow THE NORRIS PETERS 50., PHOYO-UTHCL. WASHINGTON, a. u.

No. 643,857.- Patented m. 20, I900.-

- E. m. ZAHL.

EXCAVATOB AND DITGHER.

(Application filed Oct. 19, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Shaots$heet 2.

mz Nonms PETERS no. PnuTo-umu, WASHKNGTOIL u. c,

No. 643,857. Patentedfeb. 20, 1900; E. m. ZAHL;

E-XGAVATOR AND DITGHER.

(Appliclfiion filed Oct. 19, 1899.).

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet a.

wilt" Eivwemtoz uma, WASHINGTON u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDW'ARD M. ZAHL, PORTLAND, OREGON.

EXCAVATO R AN D DITC H ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,857, dated February20, 1900.

Application filed October 19, 1899. Serial No. 784,111. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. ZAHL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Portland, county of Multnomah, State of Oregen, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Excavators and Ditchers, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in excavators and ditchers; andit consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices thatwill be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an excavator and ditcher whichis adapted to greatly facilitate the work of making excavations,ditches, canals, and earthworks, and which is capable of being readilydisassembled and set up and is adapted to be readily transported fromplace to place.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of myinvention, partly in vertical longitudinal section, on the line 00 m ofI Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line y y ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 2 z of Fig. 2. Figs.5 and 6 are detail views.

A represents the platform-frame, which is composed of the pair of sillsB, the pair of plates 0, the cross-beams D, and the posts E. The postsare located on the sills, the ends of the plates are on the upper endsof the posts, and braces F are employed to sustain the frame againstlongitudinal stress. A transverse beam G is laid on the sills near thecenter of. the frame and bolted to a pair of the posts, and in thecenter of the frame are arranged three longitudinal beams H, which aresecured on the beams D. The parts of the frame are secured together bybolts,and thereby the frame is adapted to be readily taken apart,transported, and reassembled when desired.

A suitable platform I is laid upon the top of the frame, and at one endof the frame is a transverse track-frame K, which projects from one sideof the frame a suitable distance and on which travels a car L. Thetrackframe K extends only partly across the frame A, and at the innerend of the track-frame is a car-elevator M, having a section of track Non which the car may be run. A gallowsframe R, comprising a pair ofvertical posts 0 and a cross-beam P, is secured on the frame A in linewith the beam G, the outer post 0 being on the outer side of the frame Aand secured thereto by an angle-bracket plate T, which is bolted to saidpost and to one of the plates 0, as shown. A pair of guide-bars S arearranged vertically and connect the beam G with the beam P. An iron orsteel plate U, of inverted- U shape, supports the car-elevator and isprovided with the downturned brackets V, having at their outer ends theguides W, which operate on the rods S. A drum X is mounted on suitablesupports on the platform, and at the inner end of the platform is a skidY, to form an incline on which the scoop Z travels. A rope a is attachedto the drum and is adapted to be wound and unwound thereon, and at thefree end of said rope is a hook by means of whichit may be readilyattached to and detached from the scoop. A suitable donkey-engine (whichis hot here shown, as it may be of any preferred form and forms no partof my invention) is mounted on the platform and operates the drum in theusual manner.

A standard I) has its lower end secured to a heelpiece c, which isadapted to be placed transversely on the platform-frame at one sidethereof and rests on one of the plates 0 and one of the beams H and isadapted to be readily removed from the frame when desired, the sidesofthe said heelpiece being engaged by the proximate planks of theplatform, as shown in Fig. 5. A brace-bar cl has its lower end securedto the heelpiece near the outer end of the latter, and the upper end ofsaid brace-bar is secured to the standard, as shown. The upper end ofthe standard is bifurcated for a suitable distance and provided with aseries of bolt-holes. A sheave e is secured in the standard by asuitable bolt, and at the upper end of the standard is secured the upperend of an inclined stay-bar f by means of a bolt g. The lower portion ofthe stay-bar is secured between a pair of angle-plates h, which arebolted on the platform by a bolt '5, the outer ends of said platesprojecting beyond the outer end of the said platform. A lever is pivotedbetween the standard and a yoke-strap Z by a bolt m, the lower end ofsaid lever engaging the car-elevator and being adapted to raise andlower the same when the lever is operated, which is accomplished bymeans of blocks 71, secured to said lever and to the lower end of thestay-bar f, and a fall-rope 0, the free end of which may be attached tothe drum when it is desired to elevate the car for the purposehereinafter set forth.

A winch p is mounted on the platform on the side of the standardopposite the ear-elevator and is provided with a ratchet-wheel r and apawl s. A stay-rope t has one end attached to the winch, and said ropeis passed over the sheave e and has its outer end anchored in anysuitable manner in the ditch, canal, or other excavation in process ofcon struction. A traveler u operates on the stayrope and has a balancedbar 11 depending therefrom and provided with pointed ends w. A fall-rope0c is attached to the traveler and operatpjs on a block y at the head ofthe standard The scoop is provided on opposite sides with a pair of ears.2, in one of which is a bayonetslot a and in the other an opening 7).

The car L is provided with a centrally-pivoted platform 0', and at theouter end of the track-frame is a U-shaped stopper-bar d, arranged inthe path of the car, the central portion d of the detent being pivotallymounted in an opening in a cross-bar K at the outer end of thetrack-frame, and the ends of the said detent being turned at rightangles to the central portion thereof to form arms d 01 the latter armserving as a lever by which the detent may be turned and the arm (ibeing adapted to serve as a stop for the car, and which may be turnedup, so as to engage the front axle of the car and prevent it from movingoff the track-frame. In Fig. 2 of the drawings this detent is shown withits arms turned down in a horizontal position out of use when notintended for engagement with the car. In Fig. 3 said detent is shownwith its arms turned up to a vertical position and with its inner arm (1in the path of the car and serving as a stop therefor, the car beingindicated in dotted lines.

In operation the scoop is filled with earth in the usual manner, beingguided and controlled byits handles and moved by the drum and rope a.The car is moved by a man stationed on the platform and is run to theinner end of the skid, where it remains until the scoop is drawn ontothe car. The car is then run to the outer end of the track and dumped byhand, thereby causing the earth in the scoop to be discharged alongsidethe platform-frame and to one side of the canal or ditch, thecar-platform being turned on its pivot before discharging the scoop ofits contents, and the car, with the scoop thereon, is then run inwardonto the car-elevator, which is raised by means of the fall-rope andlever to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to a sufficientheight to enable the pointed ends of the balanced bar of the traveler tobe engaged in the opening and bayonet-slot in the ears of the scoop, andthereby as the car is lowered the scoop becomes suspended from thetraveler, which moves downward on the rope i by gravity and returns thescoop to the work. The traveler is then drawn back to a position overthe elevator by means of the rope. A pair of the scoops are used ormore, as may be required, and as each loaded scoop is drawn onto the carthe rope a is unhooked therefrom and hooked to the empty scoop suspendedfrom the traveler, and thereby the rope a is paid out as the empty scoopreturns to the work, while the loaded scoop is in process of unloading,as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, I olaim- 1. In an excavator andditcher, the combination with the stay-rope and traveler, of the car,the elevator therefor, and the scoop and elevating-rope, all combinedand adapted to operate substantially as described.

2. In an excavator and ditcher, the platform and frame having thetransverse trackframe, the car-elevator at the inner end of thetrack-frame, the skid, the drum and elevating-rope, the stay-rope, thetraveler thereon, and the car, having the pivoted platform, for thepurpose set forth, substantially as described.

3. The scoop having the pair of cars, provided respectively with theopening I) and bayonet-slot a, for the purpose set forth, substantiallyas described.

4. The traveler having the balance-bar with pointed ends, in combinationwith the scoop having the pair of ears, provided respectively with abayonet-slot and openings for the ends of the said balance-bar,substantially as described.

5. In an excavator and ditcher, the frame and platform having thetrack-frame and the car-elevator, and provided with the standard, havingthe heelpiece detachably fitted on the frame, the stay-bar detachablysecured to the frame and having its upper end secured to the standard,and the car-elevator lever pivoted to the said standard, whereby saidstandard, stay bar, and car-elevator lever are adapted to besimultaneously removed from the platform and frame, withoutdisassembling them from one another, substantially as described.

6. In an excavator and ditcher, the platform and frame having thestandard, the winch, the rope t passed over a sheave in the standard,the traveler thereon, and the carelevator, all in combination,substantially as described.

7. In an excavator and ditcher, the platform and frame having thetransverse trackframe, the car-elevator at the inner end of thetrack-frame, the detent d at the outer end of the track-frame, the skid,the drum and 10 with the guidesW, on the guide-rods S, and

the lever for raising and lowering the elevator, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have set my hand, this 7th day of October, A. D.1899, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

EDWARD M. ZAHL.

Witnesses:

A. W. JOHNSTON, J. A. STRAWBRIDGE, J r.

